Wrestling

Penn State Guts Out Tie With Indiana

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.; January 24, 2009 – The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, ranked No. 14 in the nation, entered its dual Friday night down three starters. By the time the Hoosier dual ended, Penn State lost two more starters for its battle at No. 25 Purdue. Less than 24 hours after tying No. 21 Indiana, head coach Troy Sunderland’s short-handed crew fought its way to a 19-19 tie against the Boilermakers, posting its second tie in less than 24 hours as the squad opened up action in the conference with two straight road duals.

Purdue opened up with a major at 197 and a win at heavyweight to take an early 7-0 lead. Penn State then stormed back, beginning with a major from sophomore Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) at 125 and a technical fall from All-American Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.) at 133. Frank Molinaro followed with a major decision at 141 and Penn State bolted to a 13-7 lead.

With All-American Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) out of the line-up, Purdue picked up a technical fall at 149 as Nittany Lion 133-pound reserve Adam Lynch (Mifflinburg, Pa.) put up a tough effort against a ranked Purdue opponent. Purdue also picked up a win at 157 where 141-pounder Colby Pisani (Ridgway, Pa.) moved up two weight classes and gave his Boilermaker foe all he could handle in dropping a tough major decision. Purdue took a 16-13 lead with the major with only three bouts left.

Nittany Lion All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), moving up to 165, rode the energy supplied by Pisani’s strong effort to a thrilling 6-4 win over Purdue’s Luke Manuel, ranked No. 9 at 165. Red-shirt freshman Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) then got a sudden victory win at 174 to give the Nittany Lions a 19-16 lead. Senior Jack Decker (Roseland, N.J.), who posted a superb technical fall the night before in Indiana, faced No. 14 A.J. Kissel of Purdue in the dual’s final bout. Decker gave the ranked Kissel all he could handle in a 2-1 loss, but the Purdue decision allowed the Boilermakers to tie the bout 19-19.

Penn State is now 7-6-2 on the year, 0-0-2 in conference duals. Purdue is now 11-1-1, 0-0-1 in the conference. Penn State returns to action at home on Friday, Jan. 30, when Minnesota comes to town for a 7 p.m. dual in Rec Hall. Single event tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for youth. Penn State students get in FREE with a Penn State ID. All Penn State dual meets and post-season action can be heard live in the Centre Region on WRSC (1390 AM State College), WHUN (1150 AM Huntingdon) and live at www.GoPSUsports.com as part of the All-Access package.

197: Red-shirt freshman Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa.) was hurt the night before at Indiana, so classmate J.R. Brown (Bellefonte, Pa.) took on No. 13 Logan Brown of Purdue at 197 in the dual’s first bout. Neither wrestler found an opening the first half of the opening period. J.R. took the bout’s first show at the 1:20 mark, but Logan countered, worked free and the regrouped to score on a solid double leg to take a 2-0 lead at the 1:13 mark. Logan then put together a solid enough ride to wind out the opening period and carry that lead into the second stanza. The Boilermaker chose down to start the next session and quickly escaped to a 3-0 lead. He then used another double-leg to up his lead to 5-0 with 1:00 left in the second period. Logan let J.R. up to a 5-1 deficit and began looking for another takedown. A third takedown at the :08 mark let Logan Brown carry a 7-0 lead with 1:31 in riding time into the third period. J.R. chose down to start the last period and was cut loose to a 7-2 deficit. Logan went on to add two more takedowns to roll to a 14-4 major. The major decision gave Purdue an early 4-0 lead.

HWT: Red-shirt freshman Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) faced another veteran Big Ten heavyweight, meeting Purdue’s Chris Kasten. Wade had the first opening early in the opening period, nearly completing a single leg, but Kasten was able to step back out of trouble and keep the bout scoreless early. Kasten avoided a second Wade shot and the bout went to the second stanza tied 0-0. Kasten chose down to begin the middle period and Wade took advantage, turning the Purdue junior to his back for a two-point near fall. But Kasten fought through and around him for a reversal to tie the bout. He then turned Wade for two near fall points and with 1:00 left, Kasten led 4-2. Kasten then rode Wade out to carry the two-point lead into the final period. Wade chose top to start the third period, looking to turn Kasten again and tie the bout. First the Lion freshman worked off the riding time edge, and then he steadily worked his way into position to turn his Boilermaker opponent. Wade dominated the action from the top, but Kasten was able to keep himself flat and eventually notched another reversal on Wade’s last attempt to turn him. Kasten posted a 6-2 win and put Purdue up 7-0.

125: Sophomore Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.), ranked No. 19 nationally, faced Purdue’s Akif Eren at 125. Pataky took all the early shots, forcing Eren to back up and play defense from the opening whistle. Pataky nearly scored at the 2:12 mark, but Eren was able to stay out of trouble. Eren took his first shot a minute in, but Pataky countered and worked behind the Boilermaker to take an early 2-0 lead with his first takedown with 1:56 left in the first period. Pataky then went to work on top, looking for a way to turn Eren and pick up some back points. Eren got called for an initial stall warning and then Pataky gained control of Eren’s arm, rolled him over to his back and picked up three near fall points to lead 5-0 after the first period. Pataky, with 1:55 in riding time, chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 6-0 lead. Eren simply backed up for the next minute, keeping Pataky at arms length while blocking out every shot attempt the Lion sophomore took. Trailing 6-0, Eren chose down to start the final period and Pataky took advantage. First he picked up a point on an Eren stall to go up 7-0 and then assured himself the riding time point. While Pataky did not manage to turn Eren, the sophomore managed to ride him out and, with the riding time point, posted an 8-0 major decision. The victory cut Purdue’s lead to 7-4.

133: All-American Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.), ranked No. 11 at 133, met Purdue sophomore Carson Beebe. Beebe took the first shot right out of the gates, gained control of Strayer’s right ankle and took an early 2-0 lead less than :30 into the bout. Strayer quickly escaped and immediately turned into the Beebe, looking to answer. Strayer did just that with a solid takedown at the 1:30 mark. He then turned Beebe to his back for three back points and led 6-2. Strayer cut Beebe at the :45 mark and quickly added a second takedown, nearly pinning Beebe in the process. Leading 8-3 with :25 left, Strayer rode the Boilermaker out to carry that lead with 1:05 in riding time into the second period. Strayer chose down and quickly escaped to a 9-3 lead. He then countered a Beebe shot, caught his shoulders and turned him to his back. After working for :30, Strayer went chest to chest with Beebe and had him nearly pinned for a minute. Strayer never got the pin but went up 13-3 with the back points. Strayer added two more back points before Beebe escaped and the Lion led 16-4 heading into the final period. Beebe chose down to start the last period and Strayer let him up to a 16-5 deficit, looking for the technical fall. Strayer quickly added a body lock and two more near fall points. After some scoring confusion, Strayer was finally awarded the 20-5 technical fall at the 5:58 mark, giving Penn State a 9-7 lead in the dual.

141: Red-shirt freshman Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) faced Matt Hemry at 141. Molinaro wasted no time in using a double leg to take a 2-0 lead. The Lion freshman then rolled Hemry over and picked up three back points before Hemry asked for injury time. Leading 5-0, Molinaro then turned Hemry to his back once more for two back points, turned him again for two more and with 1:30 left, led 9-0. A solid ride out gave Molinaro a 9-0 lead with 2:13 in riding time heading into the second period. Hemry chose neutral to start the second stanza and quickly took Molinaro down to lead 10-2 after cutting the Lion loose. Hemry added a second takedown and cut Molinaro loose to cut his lead to 11-4 with 1:06 left. A third takedown with just under a minute left allowed cut the lead to 11-6. Hemry cut Molinaro and looked to take him down again, but the Lion freshman countered the move and notched a critical takedown as the second period ended to lead 14-6 after two periods. Molinaro chose down to start the final period and was cut by Hemry. Molinaro then stormed through the Boilermaker for a solid double leg takedown and a 17-6 lead with 1:30 left to wrestle. With the riding time point assured, Molinaro looked to turn the Boilermaker and somehow work his way to technical fall. With :20 left, Molinaro looked to turn an arm bar, but Hemry was able to belly out and was able to save off a technical fall. Molinaro posted a solid 18-6 decision, putting Penn State up 13-7

149: 2008 National Runner-Up Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.), ranked No. 2 at 149, was set to meet Purdue stalwart Jake Patacsil, ranked No. 7, in one of the dual’s marquee match-ups. But with Jenkins suffering an injury in the first period of his win the night before and unable to wrestle less than 24 hours later, Penn State sent 133-pounder Adam Lynch (Mifflinburg, Pa.) to the mat to face Patacsil. Lynch, wrestling up two weight classes, was making his Penn State dual meet debut. Patacsil wasted no time in taking a 5-0 lead, with a quick takedown and three back points. Lynch escaped to cut the lead to 5-1, but Patacsil was relentless, picking up another takedown to up his lead to 7-1 with 2:00 left. Two more three point turns gave Patacsil a 13-1 lead after the opening period. Lynch chose neutral to start the second stanza but Patacsil picked up another takedown to lead 15-1 with 1:30 left. Patacsil added three more near fall points and posted the 18-1 technical fall at the 4:33 mark, cutting Penn State’s lead to 13-12.

157: Penn State sent red-shirt freshman Colby Pisani (Ridgway, Pa.), a reserve 141/149-pounder, once again moved up two weight classes to take on Purdue’s Colton Salazar at 157. Salazar got the first takedown just seconds into the bout, but Pisani answered with a reversal to tie the action at 2-2 with 2:20 left. Salazar escaped to take a 3-2 lead and action moved to the center of the mat. Salazar picked up another takedown to lead 5-2 with :30 left. Pisani nearly reversed him again but could not work himself free for the two points and the Nittany Lion freshman trailed 5-2 after one. Pisani chose down to begin the second stanza and worked his way to a reversal with 1:30 left, cutting the Purdue lead to 5-3. Salazar notched another takedown at the :30 mark and then rode Pisani out to lead 7-3 with 1:32 in riding time heading into the final period. Salazar chose down to start the third period and escaped to an 8-3 lead. Another Salazar takedown put the Boilermaker up 10-3. With the riding time point assured, Pisani needed an escape to avoid a major decision. After a reset with :13 left, Pisani bolted out and over Salazar but could not complete the reversal or get the escape. Still, Pisani’s valiant effort in a hard-fought 11-3 major energized the Penn State bench. The major put Purdue back on top 16-13.

165: All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 8 at 157, continued action at his new weight when ne took on Purdue’s Luke Manuel at 165. Manuel entered the bout ranked No. 9. Manuel looked to score early, setting the tone and forcing Vallimont into defense. But the Nittany Lion captain managed to counter every Manuel shot and keep things scoreless. Manuel finally took a 2-0 lead with a takedown at the 1:07 mark. Vallimont escaped :23 later to cut the lead to 2-1 and action moved to the middle of the mat on a reset. Vallimont could find no opening to score and trailed 2-1 after one period. Vallimont chose down to start the second stanza and escaped to a 2-2 tie, but not before Manuel built up a 1:05 riding time edge. Vallimont could not manage a shot over the second period’s final minute. With the bout tied 2-2, Manuel chose down to start the third stanza. Vallimont controlled him for a bit and then notched his first takedown to take a 4-3 lead. Manuel escaped to tie the bout at 4-4 and the riding time edge was down to just :50. Another high single led to a second takedown and the Nittany Lion took a 6-4 lead with :45 left. He then put together a strong ride, maintaining control of Manuel for the remainder of the bout and posted a superb 6-4 win over the ranked Manuel. The decision tied the bout at 16-16.

174: Nittany lion true freshman Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) took on Purdue’s Nick Corpe at 174. Corpe got the first takedown of the bout to take a 2-0 lead at the 1:45 mark. Wright escaped and then turned into Corpe, looking for his first takedown of the bout. Wright nearly took the lead with a fast double-leg with :20 left, but Corpe was able to back out of bounds and keep his 2-1 lead. Leading 2-1, Corpe chose down to start the second period and Wright cut him loose to a 3-1 lead. Wright, needing a takedown to tie the bout, could not break through Corpe’s defense. But at the :56 mark, Wright completed a headlock and nearly pinned Corpe. But the Boilermaker was able to roll out of trouble and give up only a takedown. Still, the swift move tied the bout at 3-3. Corpe escaped to a 4-3 lead with :18 left. Trailing 4-3, Wright chose down to start the final period and quickly escaped to tie the bout at 4-4. Each man looked for an opening to take a late lead but no one manage to score and the bout went to sudden victory. Wright, who lost a 3-1 sudden victory decision to No. 17 Trevor Perry the night before, got the win for Penn State with a takedown just over halfway through the bout. The 6-4 win gave Penn State a 19-16 lead heading into the final bout.

184: With the dual meet on the line, senior Jack Decker (Roseland, N.J.) faced nationally ranked A.J. Kissel of Purdue at 184. Kissel was ranked No. 14. Decker battled the ranked Boilermaker evenly through the first half of the bout. But Kissel countered a solid Decker shot, worked his way around the Nittany Lion, and got the takedown for a 2-0 lead. Kissel put together a strong ride, keeping control of Decker for the remainder of the period to lead 2-0 with 1:15 in riding time after one period. Kissel chose down to start the second period and, like the night before, Decker took advantage. The Lion senior, tough on top, spent nearly the entire period working to turn Kissel for back points. But the ranked Boilermaker was able to fight off Decker’s efforts and maintain his position. After a stalemate with :43 left, Decker looked to turn Kissel once more. This time, Kissel tried to work his way underneath and get a reversal. But Decker spent the final :20 battling off the effort and he managed to ride Kissel out. Down 2-0 but with a 2:00 riding time edge, Decker chose neutral to start the final period. Needing one takedown to tie the bout, Decker worked his way into Kissel and forced the tempo. With :40 left, Decker worked for an opening to grab the win, but Kissel simply backed away from the Lion’s offense long enough to wind down the clock and secure a hard-fought 2-1 win. The decision, however, was enough to tie the bout at 19-19, giving Penn State its second tie in as many nights.